Remember Free Music Festivals?

Ahhh, Back to the Nineties... a simpler time before promoters realized they could charge punters a fortune for standing in a field listening to a succession of average bands whilst waiting for the group they'd actually wanted to see. This is a flyer publicising something which wasn't to last too much longer... a free music festival.

1994 was, I think, the second year the Heineken Music Festival had been held in Preston, and as you can see, a magnificent line up of artists had been assembled. Okay, maybe not, but there was some good stuff on and you can't complain if it's free.

Of course, idiot me doesn't go on the Saturday night to see the (at that time) one hit wonders Oasis. Oh no. Even though I was quite keen and bought "Supersonic" on the day of release.  I think it must have been The Boo Radleys headlining that must have put me off, along with pikey crusties Back To The Planet.  In retrospect, what the hell was I thinking?

But on the Thursday night after work, I did bother to hop on the train from Blackpool and pottered over to Avenham Park, braving the inclement weather to see one of my then fave bands, Oldhams's mighty Inspiral Carpets, who I'd seen twice already. In my mind then, then were better than both The Stone Roses and Happy Mondays because they a) were still making records and b) hadn't turned crap. The Inspirals were promoting their latest single "Uniform" from their fourth and what turned out to be their final album "Devil Hopping" and were in fine form for a band close to packing it all in.

Supporting them were the (then) little known Shed Seven, who I'd stumbled across earlier in the year supporting Suede at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom. Bloody good they were as well live. They'd never be mentioned in the same breath as the bands that were to become massive over the next few years (Blur, Pulp, Oasis, Fat Les) but built up a solid body of work. One of those bands who when they release a greatest hits, you forget how many songs you liked of theirs.

Due to arriving late, I missed the delights of Slightlydelic and Fat Black Cat. They might have been brilliant, but more likely they were some generic pre-Britpop indie sounding combos signed to a subsiduary of a major label as some sort of tax write-off. Much like Baby Chaos, who I did manage to see, though they didn't make much of an impression. The internet has them down as being "a slinky, sexy, Glasgow based Scottish/English 4 piece Rock‘n’Roll beast" which goes to show you can't believe anything you read on the web. Including this. Probably.

Anyway, the Sheds and Inspirals were both excellent, soldiering on despite the torrential downpour outside leaking into the big tent rather alarmingly. Overall, a cracking night out which these days you'd be paying £40 for.

Most important though, don't forget - large cans from only 89p. But it was Heineken. Swings and roundabouts.